Cheerble ships Wickedbone Air with replaceable shell and app control to specialty

A buyer deciding whether to stock an app-controlled dog toy is deciding whether enough customers will use the app after the first week to justify the higher price point and the shelf space it takes from simpler auto-play models that move faster.

Cheerble launched Wickedbone Air, an app-controlled interactive dog toy that adds manual joystick steering to a line the company introduced in 2018. The new model combines two play modes, a replaceable outer shell, and updated Bluetooth connectivity. According to the company, the design reflects years of customer input aimed at making shared play and everyday upkeep easier.

The dual-mode play model and what it asks of the buyer

Wickedbone Air runs two modes. Drive Mode lets owners steer the toy in real time using a virtual joystick in the Cheerble app, changing direction and responding to their dog's movements as play unfolds. Auto Mode runs pre-programmed movement patterns and touch responses without continuous steering, though owners still need to supervise.

The dual-mode design hedges the app-control bet. A customer who stops opening the app can still use the toy in automatic mode. That matters for a buyer deciding whether the product survives past the novelty window, because a toy that requires the app every session has a narrower repeat-use profile than one that defaults to automatic play when the owner is busy.

The app connects locally via Bluetooth with a specified range the company says is improved over the original model's under-20-meter range. Real-world range depends on the environment. When Auto Mode is active and Bluetooth drops, the toy keeps playing, so an automatic session does not need immediate reconnection.

The toy includes sound effects during play. A Find Device feature triggers an audible cue through the app to help owners locate the toy when it rolls under furniture.

The replaceable shell and the consumable angle it opens

The outer shell uses E-TPU material designed to absorb impact and dampen noise on hard floors. At 8.7 ounces, Wickedbone Air weighs 54 grams less than the original.

Owners can swap out a worn shell while keeping the inner electronics. The design splits the outer cover from the internal components, letting owners replace the surface their dog chews and chases without throwing away the whole toy when the cover shows wear.

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Replaceable shells open a consumable revenue stream if customers buy them, and that depends on whether the base toy survives the dog long enough for the shell to wear out first. A toy that breaks internally before the shell shows wear produces no replacement purchase. A toy that the dog loses interest in after two weeks produces no replacement purchase either.

A buyer can stock the base unit and one replacement shell SKU, then watch whether customers come back for the shell within 90 days. If they do not, the consumable angle does not work in that store and the buyer is stocking a one-time-purchase toy at a higher price point than the auto-play models that turn faster.

The charging port sits recessed in the body, eliminating the removable cap on the original model and reducing the part count a customer can lose.

What the announcement does not show

Cheerble did not state retail pricing, distribution channels, or whether the product launches through specialty first or direct-to-consumer. The company said it was founded in 2016 and makes smart pet products for interactive play and daily care, including the Wicked Ball and Wickedbone toy families. Wickedbone Air launches during Cheerble's 10th anniversary year.

Without pricing or channel detail, a buyer cannot compare the margin against simpler auto-play toys or judge whether the app-control premium fits the store's customer base. The replaceable-shell feature matters only if the shells retail separately at a price that makes stocking them worthwhile and customers return to buy them.

The smart-toy category is still hunting for the attachment rate that makes specialty margin work. App-controlled toys create a higher price point but a narrower buyer pool than auto-play models. A toy that requires the app every session asks more of the customer than one that defaults to automatic play, and that narrows the repeat-use profile.

Replaceable shells address durability objections by letting owners refresh the surface without replacing the entire unit, but the consumable revenue stream depends on customers coming back for the shell before they lose interest in the toy. A buyer deciding whether to stock Wickedbone Air is deciding whether enough customers in the store's base will use both play modes past the novelty window and return for replacement shells to justify the shelf space it takes from faster-turning auto-play models.

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